New York Times - 1 Dec 06

Manhattan: Battery Disposal Is Banned

By SEWELL CHAN
Published: December 1, 2006

A city law banning the disposal of dead rechargeable
batteries and requiring retailers to collect them takes effect today.
The law is meant to limit pollution caused by toxic metals in the
batteries, including cadmium, lead and mercury, and requires retailers
to accept the batteries from consumers and return them to the
manufacturers for recycling. The law authorizes the Sanitation
Department to randomly check garbage and recycling containers for used
rechargeable batteries and to check that retailers like Staples and Best
Buy are complying. Consumers who dispose of the batteries face fines of
$50 to $200; fines for retailers are $200 to $500, and for
manufacturers, $2,000 to $2,400.